Simplifying Life - Mark II

candygirl

I love the vibe of this thread already.I have had some MAJOR life changes in the past 5 years, and am now in the space of appreciating who and what I have in my life, without striving for more n more.For me at the moment, having my own home, a lovely family n dogs and fantastic friends mean so much to me:D:D

[Deleted User]

abailey54 wrote: »

I just wanted to update on my earlier post to say that my DH has agreed that I can put in a request to go down to 4 days a week at least on a temporary basis - yeehaw!

A lot of things I'll need to cut spending on are things that are bad for me (fags, wine, comfort food etc) so we've agreed that it'll be much better for both of our health, which is worth investing in I think

How exciting :j

Well done you, if you budget well, theres no reason why you cant still enjoy the odd bottle of wine. (i got 3 for £10 at Mr.A and with a £1.50 off voucher they cost £8.50... so at 2.83 each for 3 bottles of Blossom Hill, if you look around you can still enjoy the odd treat, which becomes more of a treat because youve saved money :beer:

Pooky

Our simple life came about through DH being involved in a car accident and his resulting disability. At first it was anything but simple and each day was a fight but now, 4 years on we know where we are (to some degree). Coping with DHs issues are now the norm and life is beginning to emerge.

Monthly income is tight but we do have substantial savings that are there to cover DHs medical needs for the future, we have to use them wisely to make sure they last.

We get to spend every day together and both our DDs love having us home, the home cooked meals, the tidy, clean comfortable home and the pickings from the home grown bits we manage to grow in the garden. There's always enough stuff in to bake a cake for a friend or make a gift for a birthday, their friends always want to come round and love our pace of life.

Some of our friends find it difficult to accept that we're happy pinching the pennies and that we're forthright enough to say "no" to invitations out for meals etc. We are as happy as pigs in the proverbial and despite the agonising constant pain that DH goes through we manage to smile every day.

I love my simple life and I love that I'm able to live it.

bbh30

I am living the simple life with the aim of paying off my mortgage and I am (trying) to OP with £1k per month so there isnt much spare. I am baking all my own bread, making everything from scratch. I am having so much fun! I really enjoy being in the kitchen, having a mammoth cooking session. You name it, Ive made it recently! But I don't use "fancy" ingredients, I invent dishes out of the things I have in the cupboards.
I saw the shops were doing a Valentines meal for £20- all I could think was that we could live for a week off £20!! The raging consumerism makes me feel quite ill actually. The lines of people desperate to buy flowers today. I have stopped going shopping unless I need something specific- and it is amazing how little I am going shopping! I aim to food shop once every 2 weeks.

We are now spending our weekends taking our children out on bike rides round the woods, or going for family walks, rather than out for a meal.

I do go to work but only work part time- so do all the school runs every day. I wouldnt want to give up my job as I find it incredibly rewarding and after having spent 2 years at home as a SAHM, I know that I am happier when I go to work. But my job even fits in with my ethos of simplicity, and there are no chances for me to spend any money at work

Yellow_One

This thread is fab.

After my marriage broke down, I moved back home with my parents and soon realised everything I needed I had in one room, my bedroom. I have loads in storage, cant remember what half of it is, so going to have a massive clear out of that and a car boot.

I then took. Job that was lower money than my previous one and I was really happy in it. I then broke my foot and had a horrific time in hospital/surgery/lack of physio etc and it made me revaluate. I was then 'fired' from my job when I returned after my accident and now have a fantastic job, where I have wanted to work for a long time and I am very happy. I plan to move out into my own flat in June/July this year and now planning on clearing all of my debts for that move.

I have had a horrible two years with cheating husband, accident etc and now I realise the old me was so money hungry, spend, spend, spend, materialistic the lot. The new me is not like that at all and I have a list as long as my arm of things I want to make and create, mainly in preparation for my new flat. I have never felt so liberated and free and for once I can finally say I am happy with my life.

lizzietish

Hi, what a fab thread. Nothing really to add to the brilliant comments already. I had a horrid year last year, my favourite aunty passed away, my elderly mum and dad were struggling with health issues and i was working full time and totally tired trying to help them all. I gave my notice in at work in October and made a big decision to take 2013 off and live within our means. Hubby works and we both worked hard over 25 years to pay off the mortgage. I haven't regretted it for a day, I've never been happier. I've help my parents out by giving them time and support, I see my family and friends more, i'm outdoor in the garden more, i meet a friend for a walk every week and i cook all our meals from scratch. I use the library, learned to crochet from a pattern! Also I hardly spend anything at all, only the debit essentials and food. I'm giving 2013 to myself as a gift. Good luck to everyone who's been fortunate enough to do what we've all done.

thriftwizard

Loving this thread and everyone's stories of how apparent disasters can be an opportunity to realise what's really important.

I had a heck of a year last year, though not in any majorly bad ways; I had an opportunity to realise a dream of a lifetime & open my own shop. But about 3 months into a year's lease I realised I'd bitten off more than I could chew, not financially (wouldn't have done it if I hadn't known I could at least cover the rent) but in terms of my own time; I still have kids at home & uni, old enough to cook & clean but not yet able to transport themselves, I have elderly parents who suddenly needed a lot of input through no fault of their own, and I was offered a chance to do something else I'd always dreamt of doing too, in the evenings... the house went totally to pot, and one way or another I think I nearly went round the twist trying to keep all the balls in the air & my health was starting to suffer. So at the end of the year I was very glad for the shop to be "bought out" by someone else, though very sad to lose the workspace!

Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful to have had the chance to do it & I learnt a lot from the experience, good & bad. For example: sometimes having it all turns out to be too much! I'm much happier to retreat to working from home, despite the space issues, & now I have more time for the important things in life.

Cheapskate

flowertotmum wrote: »

O i am so happy for you..like others have said you won't regret it...its hard work but so rewarding, when you wake up and realize that you are not a slave to the rat race anymore.
As for giving things up..well yes you do..those things are not good for you anyway hun..as for wine make your own..treats make your own..so much nicer and you know exactly whats in them..
I love being boring:rotfl:growing my own food,baking from scratch,reading,knitting,sewing, i have lost friends because of it but they were not real friends i can see that now,i live my life for me and my family.
Will be reading this thread with interest..i love it when folks finally get it..you can almost see that lightbulb go on and its soo lovely..
love
ftm

I think I did "get it" a long time ago, but lost it again for quite some time! I'm finally old enough to do what I feel is best for us. :rotfl:
I suspect I'll lose some "friends" too, but the real ones will stay, especially when they realise I'm baking again!
Now the end of my paid-for work is looming I'm actually quite excited - am I normal?
A xo

Tryingagainandagain

Please someone - what is CRAPROLLZ?:o

midnightraven3

what a fantastic thread!

i too was in a very stressful job, 3 children, endless hours
one night i was standing ironing at 11.30 pm
i put the iron down and asked out loud "what am i doing?"
i was giving everything to a job and "home" was suffering
i was fortunate OH earned enough to keep us
next day i handed in my resignation and took those owing holidays and never looked back
i grow, i cook, i sew, i make, i bake (badly:o)
and our home is somewhere i love to be

pooky said it best for me

"I love my simple life and I love that I'm able to live it."